Stealth Fighter May Be At Langley For Public Showing

If the nation's super-secret, radar-evading Stealth fighter plane finally goes public, there is a possibility that it will be exhibited at Langley Air Force Base this summer.

During a meeting Tuesday with civic and municipal leaders from across the state, Col. John McBroom, commander of the 1st Tactical Fighter Wing at Langley, said he would like to have a Stealth fighter among several other warplanes on display at the base's annual Community Appreciation Day, which is scheduled for July 14.

The Stealth fighter has never been publicly displayed. The 53 operating Stealth fighters are based at a secret site in Nevada and are assigned to the Air Force's Tactical Air Command - TAC. Langley is headquarters for TAC.

On Wednesday, after the base's official spokesman declined comment, McBroom said he did not know if the Stealth fighter can be shown in the near future.

Public display would require an act of Congress and permission by the secretary of defense.

Lockheed Corp., the manufacturer of the aircraft - known technically as the F-117A - has been actively campaigning to have the fighter publicly shown. The company is vying to produce the next generation of Air Force tactical fighter planes and wants its Stealth success to be part of that marketing.

Although the plane has been in operation for several years, the Air Force has refused to release photographs or allow it to be seen by the public. Several photographs - usually hazy or indistinct - have been published in aviation journals and other publications.

Capt. Susan Strednansky, an Air Force spokeswoman, said that if there is a public showing of the plane in the future, "it would not be a traditional unveiling, because the Stealth plane has been around for quite a while."

Flying and fighting capabilities and costs are still secret, but "the Air Force is working on a plan to get more information released about the airplane," said Strednansky.

It is a single-seated, twin engine airplane with V-shaped wings. The Stealth fighter program was launched in 1978 and the first plane flew in 1981. Stealth fighters became an operational part of the Air Force in October 1983.

The design and materials used to make the Stealth fighter supposedly allow it to avoid detection by radar. The Air Force says this allows the plane to fly deep into enemy territory and complete its missions without detection.

The Stealth fighter was used in combat for the first time in December, during the invasion of Panama. Then, two of the planes were bombed the Rio Hato stronghold of the Panama Defense Forces.

In a press briefing at the Pentagon on Monday, Lt. Gen. Carl W. Stiner, the Army's Panama task force commander, said six Stealth fighters were involved in the invasion but only two dropped bombs. The planes flew non-stop, refueling en route, according to a report in the Feb. 27 edition of Aerospace Daily.

The publication said the flight was 4,000 miles one way - about 18 hours of flying for the round trip. It also quoted Stiner as saying he selected the F-117 for the strike because of its bombing accuracy.

The Air Force has ordered 59 of the planes and 56 have been delivered. Three planes have been lost in accidents.

All the Stealth fighters are assigned to the 37th Tactical Fighter Wing at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., but because of the secret aspects of the program, they are housed at the Tonopah Test Range Airfield in the desert.

"There are 2,500 military members assigned to the wing, who commute to the base each day," said Capt. Kevin Baggett, a spokesman for the Tactical Air Command at Langley. "The wing is scheduled to be relocated to Holloman AFB, N.M., at a future date."

Pentagon spokesman Pete Williams said Tuesday that Defense Secretary Dick Cheney is still reviewing information and trying to decide whether to allow a public unveiling of the F-117. Air Force Chief of Staff Larry Welch endorsed the proposal in early February.

"The Air Force has talked about doing certain things and they are being considered. We are also discussing things we'd like to do," Williams said.

Col. Don Black, a spokesman for the Air Force Department, said if Cheney approves an unveiling, it must be forwarded to Congress for approval.

Lockheed, the manufacturer of the Stealth fighter, is hoping that approval will come.

Lockheed is in competition with Northrop Corp. to build an advanced tactical fighter for the Air Force and Navy for the early 21st century. According to a recent report in The Washington Post, the Stealth fighter has served as a model for Lockheed's advanced fighter entry.

A spokesman for the manufacturer could not be reach for comment Wednesday.

The almost-as-secret B-2 Stealth bomber plane was shown publicly more than a year ago, and Lockheed would like similar publicity for its airplane.

"Some Lockheed officials have suggested around Washington that one reason the Air Force and Pentagon do not want the Stealth fighter unveiled is that the fighter could be a competitor to the bat-winged B-2" bomber, which has been troubled by flight problems, noted a recent Washington Post article.

That article said Air Force officials are afraid that publicity about the Stealth fighter and its capabilities - including its ability to drop bombs - will cause congress to wonder why the more costly and unproven B-2 is needed.